New Construction Painting in Fort Worth, TX

Paint goes on after drywall finish and trim installation but before flooring, countertops, plumbing fixtures and final electrical trim. On a typical Fort Worth production home, we receive the house once the tape-and-bed crew has sanded and the trim carpenter has installed base, casing and doors. Our first visit fills nail holes, caulks trim joints and primes. The second visit applies finish coats. The final visit is punch-out, after flooring, cabinets, appliances and fixtures are in.

Getting into the house too early is the most common cause of return trips on new homes. If drywall mud hasn't dried completely in humid weather, primer can flash and joints may show through the finish. We check mud with a moisture meter where it looks questionable and tell the superintendent when a house needs another day. That small delay usually saves a full day of touch-ups later. We'd rather wait than paint twice.

New drywall is a mix of paper face and joint compound, and the two absorb paint differently. Without a proper primer, flat or eggshell finishes show joint lines and patches as dull or shiny bands, which buyers notice in afternoon light. We spray a PVA drywall primer or a high-hiding acrylic primer across all new walls and ceilings, then backroll to work it into the texture. On level 5 finishes or smooth walls, we may use a higher-build primer surfacer.

Knockdown and orange peel textures are common in Fort Worth homes, and they hold primer differently than smooth walls. Backrolling forces material into the texture so the surface looks uniform. Once primer dries, we look down each wall with a work light to catch any joint ridges or nail pops before finish coats go on. Any flaws are flagged to the superintendent for the drywall crew to address. Nothing gets buried under finish paint.

• PVA or high-hiding acrylic primer on new walls and ceilings
• Backroll after spraying to even out texture
• Wall inspection with a raking work light
• Finish coats only after joints and nail pops are addressed

Trim and doors are where new construction quality shows. We fill nail holes with wood filler or lightweight spackle, caulk every joint with a paintable acrylic latex caulk, sand with 180 to 220 grit, and spray or brush a waterborne alkyd or urethane-modified acrylic enamel. Those enamels level out like traditional oil but clean up with water, dry faster and stay whiter than oil, which tends to yellow in closets and dim rooms.

If the builder is staining doors, beams or stair parts instead of painting them, we pre-condition softwood to prevent blotching, apply stain by hand, and seal with a waterborne polyurethane. Cabinets supplied unfinished can be sprayed in place with a catalyzed or high-build cabinet coating, but most builders order factory-finished boxes. We'll note in the bid whether cabinets, built-ins and shelving are in our scope. Closet shelving is usually painted before install.

Many new Fort Worth homes are brick or stone with painted fiber-cement siding, trim, fascia and soffits. Fiber-cement usually arrives factory primed, and we apply two coats of a premium 100% acrylic exterior paint within the manufacturer's recommended window after installation. Cut ends that weren't sealed during install get primed before finish paint. Wood trim and corbels are primed on all exposed surfaces, including the backs where we can reach them.

We also paint garage doors if they're supplied primed, exterior entry doors and any exposed rafters or beams on porches and patio covers. In the hottest months, we start on east elevations in the morning and finish west and south faces in the afternoon shade. Caulk joints at windows and trim get a high-performance elastomeric sealant that stays flexible as the house settles on clay soil. We avoid painting when rain is forecast within hours.

After flooring, countertops, fixtures and appliances go in, every new house has marks and nicks from other trades. We return for punch-out with labeled touch-up paint for each color and sheen, and we use small rollers and brushes so touch-ups blend with the surrounding finish. On some walls, especially flat finishes in big open rooms, we repaint from corner to corner rather than spot touching to avoid flashing. Buyers rarely spot those repairs.

Builders usually schedule a second punch-out right before the buyer walk, and sometimes a third after the walk for items the buyer marks. We price punch-out visits clearly in the bid so the builder knows what's included. Superintendents can call us 24/7 with a closing date change, and we'll fit punch-out around the new schedule whenever possible. Each visit ends with a quick walk alongside the superintendent so nothing is missed before the keys change hands.